Department of Family and Social Medicine

Bronx Health Opportunities Partnership‐Einstein (Bronx HOPE)

Bronx Health Opportunities Partnership-Einstein (Bronx HOPE) promotes the educational advancement of underserved, economically and educationally disadvantaged students to pursue and succeed in rigorous academic programs in the health professions. Bronx HOPE formally links Albert Einstein College of Medicine to regional and national programs dedicated to developing and nurturing typically underrepresented students at the middle school, high school, community college, college, and post-baccalaureate levels.

Program History

Established by the Department of Family & Social Medicine, Bronx HOPE began as Bronx Science and Health Opportunities Partnership (BxSHOP) in 2004 and was renamed Bronx HOPE in 2015 in memory of Hope Spano, the program’s beloved administrator who died of colon cancer in 2014. Ms. Spano was a dedicated, caring mentor, advocate, and the true embodiment of the BxSHOP mission.

In 2015, Bronx HOPE was awarded a 3-year renewal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through its Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP). This grant allows for the continuation and expansion of the program to include more academic and community programs with demonstrated long-term success.

Program Director

Assistant Dean for Community Engagement
Professor of Clinical Family & Social Medicine, Department of Family and Social Medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health
Chief, Division of Community Health, Department of Family and Social Medicine